I don't personally grow BDdC but I worked with one at a public garden that I volunteered at. I don't remember it being 7' tall, more like 5' but it could have had 7' canes & arched over to 5'. Yes, very thorny. Also does not like alkaline soil, & once established likes to spread from the roots. The one thing I remember I didn't like about it was that it didn't drop its petals as the flowers grew old. They hung on & turned brown, not very attractive, so definitely needs dead heading to look good.

I would like to put in a word for it, for those with the right conditions. It is true that it does have an untidy habit of growth. My mother's and the one I planted for my cousin on LI, never did grow very bushy or tall. No hips. Flowers do go brown when spent. Nevertheless, before they go by, they are a most exquisite and luminous white in color, especially in the evening, whereas other double white rugosas tend to be muddy. Furthermore, there is nothing like it for spicy clove-like fragrance; and it is fragrant at night, where most (all?) other roses are not. Russell Page wrote that he planted three together at the entrance to the Duke of Windsor's garden.

As far as the thorniness -- all rugosas share this trait. As far as the browning of flowers -- don't gardenias do this as well?

I grow it and it is about chest high, 4 feet or so. It was just coming into its own when it was overwhelmed by root stock of another plant that I dithered a little too long over removing. Blanc Double de Coubert had become very misshapen and so was pruned somewhat severely to bring it into balance. It is slowly recovering. It had not repeat bloomed until this year and even then only a bloom or two. Nevertheless I like it quite a bit. It is a white white and blooms earlier than most roses, although not as early as some of those yellows like Harrison's. It has a pleasing scent and forms hips when I let it. It is thorny but then most roses are. It doesn't make my heart go pitty-pat but it is a nice comfortable, companionable rose that I value more with each passing year. An afterthought: It is not especially double. By that I mean the stamens are visible. I believe that the fully double form is Souvenir de Philemon Cochet (which I have not seen in person) but Philemon has a lower rating.

Cath

Thank you all for your opnions. I need a white rose that will tolerate shade, and I think this is the one.

I tend to doubt that you will be happy with BDdC simply because it's unlikely that she will be happy with the heat & humidity levels in AL.

The flowers, given their tissue-thin petals, cannot withstand rain -- or even heavy humidity. Those sodden brown wads can be as disheartening as they are ghastly. Wirosarian's comments regarding BDdC's propensity to spread from the roots is VERY true. To avoid that, try finding it as a grafted plant. Pickering offered it on Multiflora . . . there may be other sources.

I happily grew BDdC in another time and place. Unfortunately, it was one of a number of well-loved roses that didn't approve of my move to coastal NC.